Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message ----- 
From: BowHaus Inc. 
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 5:23 PM
Subject: InkJet Control Software


BowHaus, Inc. Unveils InkJet Control Printmaking Software for Monochrome Fine Art Inkjet Printing

Los Angeles, CA - March 20, 2003 < BowHaus has announced a release date of March 24, 2003 for their new printmaking software.  InkJet Control is a printmaking application that was developed for quality conscious digital B&W Fine Art Printmakers that demand full control over their printer and media.  Users of InkJet Control can use quadtone or hextone inks from different manufacturers and create their own unique profiles for popular Epson printers.

InkJet Control is a stand-alone application (not a plug-in) that frees the B&W printmaker from ³canned² profiles or RGB workflows. The printmaker can create, edit and save their own 16-bit profiles, which controls the tonal shape of each individual ink, dictating where each ink starts, stops and how the inks merge together. 

All of InkJet Control¹s profiles and rendering algorithms operate in 16-bit, over 65 million shades of gray, resulting in smoother gradations and transitions. InkJet Control supports both 8-bit and 16-bit single channel grayscale TIFF files.  8-bit grayscale files are internally converted to 16-bit during printing to take advantage of the 16-bit profiles and rendering algorithms.  

Another innovative and unique feature is the ³Blender² tool, a slider-type interface that allows the printmaker to mix two profiles together.  Printmakers using sepia and cool toners (MIS VM Inkset) can use the Blender feature to instantly vary the hue from warm to cool.  Using a stock Epson 2200 printer with UltraChrome inks, the printmaker can blend between supplied profiles to achieve custom toning effects from print to print instantly.

Printmakers with access to a densitometer can micro-tune each profile with InkJet Control¹s powerful 16-bit Linearization Engine.  Using densitometric readings from a printed target strip, the Linearization Engine removes ³bumps² and inconsistencies to create an ideal tonal curve.  The Linearization function also ensures consistent results despite minor variations found from printer to printer, different batches of ink or paper.

InkJet Control ships with a set of profiles and OpenPrintMaker, an open source printing utility which uses InkJet Control¹s innovative 16-bit ink/paper profiles and performs the actual printing.  The OpenPrintMaker utility currently supports the Epson 860, 1160,  1280, 2200, 7000 and 7500.   InkJet Control  is a MAC OS 9.x application that retails for $199.  A Windows and OS X version of InkJet Control will be announced soon.  

For more information, contact BowHaus at 323-937-8400 (9am- 6pm PST) or email software@....  

About BowHaus
LA-based BowHaus, Inc. has been bringing high-end digital imaging to professional photographers since 1992, making them one of the first "all-digital" photo labs in the country. The company provides Crosfield drum scans for a broad range of users including: stock-photo companies, graphic designers, fine artists, museums and photographers seeking to digitally preserve their traditional photo archives. Digital output includes high-resolution LVT transparencies and negatives, Fujix prints, Iris pre-press proofs, wide-format NovaJet prints and Epson fine-art printmaking. 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: BowHaus Inc.
> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 5:23 PM
> Subject: InkJet Control Software
> 
> 
> BowHaus, Inc. Unveils InkJet Control Printmaking Software for Monochrome Fine
> Art Inkjet Printing
> 
> Los Angeles, CA - March 20, 2003 < BowHaus has announced a release date of
> March 24, 2003 for their new printmaking software.  InkJet Control is a
> printmaking application that was developed for quality conscious digital B&W
> Fine Art Printmakers that demand full control over their printer and media.
> Users of InkJet Control can use quadtone or hextone inks from different
> manufacturers and create their own unique profiles for popular Epson printers.
> 
> InkJet Control is a stand-alone application (not a plug-in) that frees the B&W
> printmaker from ³canned² profiles or RGB workflows. The printmaker can create,
> edit and save their own 16-bit profiles, which controls the tonal shape of
> each individual ink, dictating where each ink starts, stops and how the inks
> merge together. 
> 
> All of InkJet Control¹s profiles and rendering algorithms operate in 16-bit,
> over 65 million shades of gray, resulting in smoother gradations and
> transitions. InkJet Control supports both 8-bit and 16-bit single channel
> grayscale TIFF files.  8-bit grayscale files are internally converted to
> 16-bit during printing to take advantage of the 16-bit profiles and rendering
> algorithms.  
> 
> Another innovative and unique feature is the ³Blender² tool, a slider-type
> interface that allows the printmaker to mix two profiles together.
> Printmakers using sepia and cool toners (MIS VM Inkset) can use the Blender
> feature to instantly vary the hue from warm to cool.  Using a stock Epson 2200
> printer with UltraChrome inks, the printmaker can blend between supplied
> profiles to achieve custom toning effects from print to print instantly.
> 
> Printmakers with access to a densitometer can micro-tune each profile with
> InkJet Control¹s powerful 16-bit Linearization Engine.  Using densitometric
> readings from a printed target strip, the Linearization Engine removes ³bumps²
> and inconsistencies to create an ideal tonal curve.  The Linearization
> function also ensures consistent results despite minor variations found from
> printer to printer, different batches of ink or paper.
> 
> InkJet Control ships with a set of profiles and OpenPrintMaker, an open source
> printing utility which uses InkJet Control¹s innovative 16-bit ink/paper
> profiles and performs the actual printing.  The OpenPrintMaker utility
> currently supports the Epson 860, 1160,  1280, 2200, 7000 and 7500.   InkJet
> Control  is a MAC OS 9.x application that retails for $199.  A Windows and OS
> X version of InkJet Control will be announced soon.
> 
> For more information, contact BowHaus at 323-937-8400 (9am- 6pm PST) or email
> software@....
> 
> About BowHaus
> LA-based BowHaus, Inc. has been bringing high-end digital imaging to
> professional photographers since 1992, making them one of the first
> "all-digital" photo labs in the country. The company provides Crosfield drum
> scans for a broad range of users including: stock-photo companies, graphic
> designers, fine artists, museums and photographers seeking to digitally
> preserve their traditional photo archives. Digital output includes
> high-resolution LVT transparencies and negatives, Fujix prints, Iris pre-press
> proofs, wide-format NovaJet prints and Epson fine-art printmaking.
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, Bookmarks, Polls and other
> resources as they are often being updated. The page is at:
> 
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> 
>

> InkJet Control SoftwareHi all,
> I received this today and thought some of you may be interested!.
> 
> Owen P. Evans

On Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at 04:28  PM, Antonis Ricos wrote:

> Owen,
>
> since you brought it up, and Robert already chimed in, here is my take  
> on IJC.
> I should say up front that I have no business arrangement with bowhaus  
> who
> makes the software, but I have been involved as beta tester.
>
> In my opinion Inkjet Control heralds a new era in bw inkjet printing  
> by giving
> the printmaker  better control than we ever had even in  those Iris  
> behemoths
> of yesteryear.  Being able to chose which ink nozzle fires and  
> precisely
> controlling how much ink it lays down for a given digital value in a  
> grayscale
> file is simply awsome. We are now free to mix and match inksets as we  
> please
> and fine tune performance on a day-to-day or  paper -to-paper basis  
> without
> relying on canned profiles .
>
> Given the $200 price, while it may appear a bit expensive to desktop  
> users
> who are used to plug-in prices, it is a huge boon to 7/9000 series  
> owners. The
> present release supports prints up to 36" long. This is a limitation  
> expected to
> be overcome in the future, but for now it means that a 24 x36 print  
> can be
> made on a 7000 and a 44x36 on a 9000. Not bad for a couple of hundred
> bucks. Because of this limit, the company doesn't claim to support the  
> 9000,
> but the software runs the printer just fine.
>
> The other amazing innovation is a feature called the blender.  It  
> makes it
> possible to choose two profiles and make a print using a blend between  
> the
> two that can be adjusted via a slider in 1% increments.  As a result,  
> I was able
> to make one 2200 profile with only the gray and black (MK) , and  
> another
> using those two plus cyan. Since the UC  gray/black by themselves are
> extremely warm, making a "cool" profile and then blending the two  
> allowed
> me to fine tune the print color to whatever I thought was "neutral".   
> Of course
> this doesn't overcome the fact that a black and a single gray won't  
> ever
> produce as smooth a highlight dot as using 2 or 3 grays, but the  
> feature can
> be used on 6 color machines where one or two "toners" can be loaded in  
> 2
> positions with 4 more available for a black and 3 grays. Needless to  
> say,
> those who like darkroom-style selective cross-toning (say warm  
> highlights,
> cool shadows) will find this very easy to do and control, since the  
> profiles to be
> blended are user-defined.
>
> Some caveats for first time users:  I believe that if you have a print  
> of a perfect
> scale (which the company may supply as part of  the release package),  
> you
> can make a pretty decent profile by eye.  By using supplied profiles  
> as a
> starting point, that shouldn't be too difficult.  However, I find it  
> faster and better
> to do the job using a densitometer.
>
> Considering that profiles can be shared, I foresee that as more people  
> begin
> to use IJC, we'll see a lot of profiles changing hands. To that end, I  
> set up a
> folder for this list under IJC (Files section) in order to help with  
> the exchange.
> People with densitometers  can then share their profiles with those  
> that don't
> have one.  I would say that first time users, in general, should allow  
> for a bit of
> a learning curve. Unless you can use one of the shipping profiles,  
> making
> your own may take some getting used to.  I say it's worth it down the  
> line,
> considering the benefits - your mileage may vary, of course.
>
>
> There are other aspects of IJC that we can discuss as well as changes  
> we can
> all suggest  for future releases. I'll leave those for the time when  
> more people
> here have the software and can participate. According to bowhaus,  
> shipments
> should begin next week (for now Mac OS 9).
>
> Antonis
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "owenpevans"
> <owenpevans@r...> wrote:
>> InkJet Control SoftwareHi all,
>> I received this today and thought some of you may be interested!.
>>
>> Owen P. Evans
>
>
>
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> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, Bookmarks, Polls  
> and other resources as they are often being updated. The page is at:
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
>
> If you wish to receive no emails or just a daily digest, or you wish  
> to unsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting  
> this same page.
>
> Please follow these basic guidelines:
> - Include your full name with your message.
> - Include the address of your website, if you have one.
> - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier messages to  
> keep them short.
> - As the topic of a thread changes remember to change the subject  
> header.
> - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or  
> &amp;amp;quot;flames.&amp;amp;quot;
> - Complete your Yahoo profile.
> - Before posting a question, search the message archives and the  
> various resources on the homepage.
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to  
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

> 
> Robert,
> are you saying that they offer the tool, Cone uses to create his 
> new "revolutionary"  profiles - or at least a similar product?
> Bernd

> How is the quality of the 2200/UC  prints using the supplied profiles?   
> Grainy? Any color crossover problems that require profile tweaking?   
> Metamerism? Comparison to IP 5 results would be useful.
> 
> Thanks,
> Carl Schofield

> Well, this *does* sound interesting (and at a not-too-scary price 
> at that). When the specs say "Mac OS 9", is this 9 only, or does 
> this encompass, say, 8.6, which I currently use?
> 
> - Barrett

> Carl,
>
> I haven't done exhaustive tests with the 2200. From looking at my 
> grayscales
> and discussing with Robert, I expect that on glossy papers highlights 
> will be
> dotty, especially if only the black and gray is used.  Papers like 
> Hahnemuehle
> German Etching hide the dots quite a bit.
>
>  In that respect, the realities of the hardware are the same 
> regardless of
> software. I personally have an aversion to seing little bright dots of 
> color in the
> highlights, but I guess one could bring in Light Cyan or L.Magenta as 
> a way to
> blend out the dots. Better yet... use the MIS Ultratones when they 
> become
> "official" and blend out the dots with gray.  The 2200 has a 
> significant
> advantage over previous generation machines in putting down finer 
> dots, but I
> think it still needs one more gray to match a 4 ink grayscale.
>
> As for crossover, it is not an issue because of the way profiles are 
> built in IJC.
> Unlike ICC-based complex calculations for maintaining the gray axis and
> dealing with color temperature and the like, here you have a simple 
> curve for
> each of  the color inks you wish to use.  You simply put more or less 
> color in
> parts of the gray scale as you wish.  In fact, you can see the curves 
> for all
> active inks at the same time and decide how your color inks relate to 
> the gray
> ones. It's more a matter of user- choice than an accidental result of 
> internal
> calculations of a color profile making app.
>
> Antonis